Computex 2010 Complete Coverage

We’re at Computex 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan, and are once again reporting from the show floor. As most of our show updates will be posted in our news section, this article serves as a one-stop shop to make all of our updates even easier to find. Check back regularly as we’ll be delivering updates as often as possible!

June 7, 2010

Taking a Tour of Kingston’s Hsinchu Factory

The best part of being in Taiwan for Computex is that we’re so close to a huge number of companies that we deal with on a regular basis. As Kingston has a factory not too far outside of Taipei, Hsinchu to be exact, the company invited a group of journalists and industry friends to take a tour. We were there, and relay our experiences.

The Booth Babes of Computex 2010

I doubt there’s much debate that Computex is one of the best tech shows of the year, but some of the reasons are better than others. Some may prefer some of the awesome product on display, and others may simply like the location. Then there are those who can’t get enough of the booth babes. Yes, this article is for you.

June 3, 2010

ASUS Updates Lamborghini VX Notebook, Introduces Eee PC Version

As you would expect from both a high-end notebook from ASUS and a Lamborghini auto, the VX7 has the specs to back up its namesake. The notebook will feature a Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of memory, an NVIDIA “enthusiast’s” graphics card, dual hard drives, up to 1.5TB, a Blu-ray ODD, and a 15.6-inch LED backlit display.

NZXT’s External Sentry LXE Fan Controller Available Soon

The LXE can control five different fans at a modest 8W~10W each, and adjusting the speed of one is simple… you simply drag your finger along the respective bar and the fan will react accordingly. Because each of the fans can use a thermo diode, you’ll also be able to keep track of the varying temperatures inside of your chassis.

Corsair Revives Memory Lighting with Airflow Pro

The Airflow Pro is without question the company’s best-ever implementation, though. As you can see in the photograph below, the lights are not part of the module, but rather part of the Airflow fan, which is not only placed atop some modules, but connect to them as well. This is where things get really interesting.

OCZ Shows Off HSDL Storage Products

HSDL stands for “High-Speed Data Link” and refers to the actual connector that it represents. Like a S-ATA connector, HSDL aims to deliver faster speeds, and at the current time, it looks as though it’s going to be targeting the enterprise environment at the get-go. Whether or not we’ll see HDSL components in our desktop in the future, it’s uncertain, but it could happen.

June 2, 2010

EVGA’s Hydro Copper FTW GTX 480 Promises 40C Temp Drops

Up to this point, few companies have unveiled truly effective solutions to aide in this situation, but for those willing to pay, EVGA looks to have the best one available. For a $150 premium over a regular GTX 480, you can get hooked up with the company’s Hydro Copper FTW version, where the GPU heatsink/cooler is completely replaced with a waterblock, which was designed in-house by EVGA.

OCZ’s Revo Brings Affordable PCI-E SSD’s to Enthusiasts

If you’ve read Robert’s review of OCZ’s Vertex 2, you know that it’s one of the fastest drives ever produced, and unlike Crucial’s C300, it seems to be devoid of game-breaking issues. At 285MB/s read and 275MB/s write, along with a 4K random write performance of 50,000 IOPS, the drive is lacking little. But who isn’t interested in going even faster?

Gigabyte Discusses Market Position, Goals and the Future

Gigabyte’s confidence in mobile devices is rather interesting also, but Henry made it clear that the company isn’t yet interested in delving into the market in the obvious way. It’s easy to understand why, as competitor ASUS has had a truly difficult time with market success with its mobile line-up. Rather, Gigabyte is interested in the time-being to support mobile devices in other ways. One example is with its motherboards that support iPad charging.

June 1, 2010

EVGA Shows Off Drool-Worthy SR-2 Enthusiast PC

It’s obvious that those who purchase an SR-2 and build machines like this are going to be few, but to have the option out there is quite something. EVGA doesn’t entirely believe that this will sell best to the enthusiast market, but will rather attract those who need true workstations to get their work done, especially with design work. The SR-2 platform as a whole is the easiest way to build up a super-powerful machine, and of course overclock it.

NZXT Shows Off Upcoming High-End Chassis: Phantom

The Phantom includes a couple of features that the company is proud of, many of which I can’t even recall at this point. One of the main features of the chassis is of course for good airflow, and as a result, you’ll find many 220mm fans on the top, bottom and of course, sides. On top is the IO panel you’ve come to expect, and also an integrated fan controller which can control five different fans at different locations.

Corsair Goes Pro with AX Series Power Supplies

The AX series has been built from the ground up, and though Corsair mentioned that it has outsourced some of the production to another company, it’s Corsair itself that has designed it. Inspired by server PSU’s, the goals of the AX series includes ultra-high efficiency, with each unit guaranteed to work at 80% or higher, which is a Gold standard. Corsair mentioned that while some select vendors tout 80% Gold, it doesn’t always mean that every unit could meet the same goal. Corsair states that if it says 80% on its PSU box, you are getting exactly that, or better.

Corsair Unveils Feature-Rich Mainstream 600T Chassis

As a whole, the 600T isn’t nearly as clean in design as the 800D, as it’s catered more towards the typical gamer who generally shy away from that kind of design. Rather, this chassis is a little more “bubbly” with more curves and rounded edges. Carried over from the 800D are many features such as the slick cable hiding system (where rubber guards of sorts really help you keep wires neat), dust filters in multiple places, and two huge 220mm fans.

May 31, 2010

NVIDIA Pushes 3D, Tablets & DirectX 11 at Computex

During NVIDIA’s pre-Computex press conference, the company reiterated both its success with recent technologies, and also stressed the importance of 3D now and in the future. To kick the conference off, the ever charismatic Jen-Hsun Huang touted the company’s recent successes, such as ION and of course Optimus, before heading into a look at the future.